The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-03-15

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mind.
"Good-by." she said, without look.
ing up.
When she did raise her head he was
gone.
But all this was twenty years ago,
and why need Sister Loretto forget
her prayers in recalling it nowY
Once more she turns the black beads
slowly in her thin, transparent hands.
She is conscious, in n vague sort OF
way, like one in n dream, OF little
chld-one of the school children
running toward her.
"Sister Loretto! Sister Loretto"
the child cried. breathlessly, "some
one wants to see you in the waiting
ROOM"
This little room faces east, so the
sunset glow does not touch it. 1t is
quite dim when the nun enters it, and
she can barely distinguish the tail fig
ure standing so close to the iron bars
which separate them from one anoth-
err
cat last" cries man, catching Mt
the barrier bet een them, and leaning
toward her.
The whitened hair and sunken eyes
she does not remember, but ah, that
voice.
"You?" she says, and bears heavily
against the bars.
The man walks quickly across the
room and sweeps aside the little white
stillly.starched curtain from thelower
half OF the window
"I.et me see you while there is light"
he cries. II never thought to
see your face again"
"Yougwill hardly recognize it the
nun says simply.
How calm her voice isl 1t surprises
even herself
"And you are here?" he goes on
hurriedly, impassionately. you
have been here all these years, and |
never knew it until II day or so ago!
Why did you hide from me in this
way? All, you were cruel-cruel:
the years ! nave spent in looking for
you! / went back to helittle old town
once but you had gone; yonr sister
was dead-there was no clew to yon.
All, Ruth, the pain you have caused
me. You taught me to love you and
then ran and MD from me. You
would pity me if you knew the aim
less, miserable existence | have lead
all these years.
"Don't ask me il | have married.
How could | love any woman after
you? Your face, your eyes, your
lips haunted me. 1t was impossible
to forget you. Twenty years have |
been faithful to you. is not that de-
votion? Did you imagine | was ca.
pable OF loving this way And now
| have found you at last, Ruth; and
| am going to take you away with
me. We are no longer young it is
true. The freshness OF our youth is
gone forever. But do not many years
of happiness yet remain for u.s. !
have influence and can get dispen-
sation for you. have already spok-
EN- in high quarters. You shake your
head, but yon do not mean it, No,
you shall not stay in this place.
Think of the wasted years spent here.
Come, Ruth dearest, forgive the past"
He pours forth this torrent ofwords
with feverish haste. There is geam
in the sunken eyes that reminds the
nun more of the past than anything
else has done. But somehow she is
beginning to feel, since seeing the low
er OF her youth, that she has outlived
it ALL
And so she makes answer quite
gently;
81 forgive the past freely but | can
not go with you. My life is ended"
"You have ceased to care for me-
the man cried feeling that it is so,
81 think so, she says, simply; then
adds even more gently, 81 hope so;
twenty years ought to have cured
me-"
Then in the dark she stretches one
white hand through the iron grating.
"Good-by for the last time" she
says, and lays it for an instant on his
bowed head.
He hears the door close softly be.
hind her. Save for the ringing OF the
Angelus the room is very still. In the
darkness and stiffness he staggers forth
into the fresh evening air like one who
has had a blow.
After twenty years waiting Sister
Loretto had her revenge.
Good Mrs. Cleveland.